Here's your (not so) totally useless fact(s) of the day:

[phkrause]

The phrase "Taco Tuesday" is legally owned by Taco John's, a national taco chain based in Wyoming.

They've issued hundreds of cease and desist letters demanding companies stop holding 'taco Tuesdays.'

James

[phkrause]

Root beer was originally called "root tea." The drink's creator had trouble selling it to his coal-miner customers as 'tea,' so he started calling it 'beer.'

James

[phkrause]

48% of Italy's residents have at least one tattoo, making it the most tattooed country. Following Italy are Sweden and the US, with 47% and 46%, respectively.

James

[phkrause]

Over 80% of the world's gold was formed by earthquakes. They pull rocks apart so quickly that any fluids inside them are instantly vaporized, leaving behind gold.

James

[phkrause]

The word "checkmate" in chess comes from the Persian phrase "Shah-Mat," which means the king is dead.

James

[phkrause]

Traditionally, turkeys were given to presidents to be killed for their Thanksgiving dinner. In 1989, George H.W. Bush was the first president to 'pardon' a turkey, instead.

James

[phkrause]

There are different rules for playing basketball in North Korea. Slam dunks are three points, "nothing but net" shots are four points and teams lose points when they miss free throws.

James

[phkrause]

In the early 1900s, there was a U.S. baseball team made up of death row inmates. Their executions were postponed as long as they kept winning. (interesting article)

James

[phkrause]

The physical act of passing through a doorway is the reason why you often walk into a room and completely forget what you were doing. Because going through a door signifies the beginning or end of something, this creates an "event boundary" within your mind.

Basically, every time you walk through a doorway, your brain starts filing away thoughts from your previous location to make room for a new group of memories in the next.

James

[phkrause]

Watermelons are 92% water, but...

- Reduces High Blood Pressure & Blood Sugar Level
- Reduces Heart Disease Risk
- Highest Alkalizing Food
- Boosts Immune System
- Strengthens Bones
- Produces Energy
- Cleanses Kidneys
- Fights Cancer

James

[phkrause]

"L'appel du vide" is when you have self-destructive thoughts for a split second – like swerving your car into oncoming traffic or imagining yourself jumping when you're standing at the edge of a cliff even though you'd never really do it. The phrase literally translates as "the call of the void".

James

[phkrause]

Your body is younger than you. No matter how old you are, most of your body is less than 10 years old, because your cells are always recycling themselves. The epidermis recycles every 2-4 weeks, red blood cells are replaced every 4 months, and your skeleton turns over every 10 years.

James

[phkrause]

Ireland's oldest pub dates back to the year 900CE. When Sean's Bar was renovated in 1970, they found the walls were made of 10th century structures. The pub has a record of every owner in its history, including Boy George, and has centuries of photos, artifacts,and memorabilia on display. Guinness World Records has named it the oldest pub in Europe, and it's most likely the oldest in the world. Link to their site.

James

[phkrause]

Microsoft offered Yahoo $44.6 billion for their entire company in 2008, but Yahoo thought it wasn't enough money. Yahoo ended up selling to Verizon for $4.83 billion in 2016.

James

[phkrause]

The Titanic wreckage is disappearing. Sunk in 1912, the ship has survived for over 100 years, but it's gradually being corroded by a unique type of bacteria that is eating away at its hull. Scientists estimate the great ship might only have about a decade left before the tiny organisms have consumed it entirely and it's gone forever.

James

[phkrause]

Jim Henson is featured on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as both himself and his fictional character, "Kermit the Frog." Only three other people have this honor — Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse, Mel Blanc and Bugs Bunny, Mike Myers and Shrek.

James

[phkrause]

Using hot water to wash your hands is no more effective than using cold water. Studies show the amount of time you spend washing is more important - so a 10-20 second wash with cold water not only removes bacteria just as well as hot water would, it also saves a significant amount of energy by not using any heat.

James

[phkrause]

The desire to lay in bed all day is called clinomania.

James

[phkrause]

Dogs can get a sense of when you're supposed to be home from work based on how much of your scent is left in the house.

James

[phkrause]

Oysters make pearls so they can feel better. When a grain of sand or debris gets
stuck in their bodies, they easy the pain and irritation by coating it with multiple
layers of nacre, the mineral that lines the inside of their shells, and a pearl begins
to form. Basically, pearls are like blisters, only much prettier.

James

[phkrause]

Blockbuster had the chance to buy Netflix for $50 million in 2000. They turned it down to go into business with Enron.

James

[phkrause]

It's a federal law that no living man or woman can appear on U.S. coins. Presidents must be dead for at least two years before they are considered for inclusion in the Presidential Dollar series.

James

[phkrause]

Steve Jobs chose the name "Apple" for his company in part because he wanted
it to appear before Atari in phonebooks, where he previously worked.

James

[phkrause]

Crops were so cheap during the Great Depression that farmers would burn corn instead of coal because corn was more affordable. The countryside often smelled like popcorn from all of the burning corn.

James

[phkrause]

Tokyo is very efficient when it comes to reducing waste. Whatever can't be recycled is incinerated, the exhaust gas goes through an extensive treatment process to reduce its environmental impact; then the leftover ash is used to make clay for cement.

James